The Japanese government does not plan to issue a request to households and businesses this summer to cut energy usage, as electricity supply is expected to be stable even amid crude oil supply concerns over Middle East tensions, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
It would mark the third consecutive summer that the government has not requested reduced power use in the high-demand period. As it usually does, it will continue to promote energy conservation measures such as for home appliances.
According to the sources, electricity supply capacity nationwide is expected to exceed demand at levels above the minimum required 3 percent even under the assumption that the resource-poor nation is hit by a once-in-a-decade heat wave in the summer.
The government has judged that stable electricity supply can be maintained by using liquefied natural gas and coal among other sources. Oil-fired thermal power only accounts for about 7 percent of the country’s total electricity generation.
Japan has been heavily reliant on imports of crude oil from the Middle East. But U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran launched in late February have led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for crude oil shipments, triggering concerns over stable energy supply.
© KYODO
